Connector for electric wires



NOV- 3, 1959 F. w. PoPEJoY ETAL 2,911,615

CONNECTOR FOR ELECTRIC wIREs Filed 001'.. l, 1957 Freddie M. Pope/'oy Joseph A. Krier 1N VEN TORS 9 BY @zw @ein United States PatcfnfO,

- The present invention relates to a novel and improved device'which is-Yexpressly designed and adapted to functioninaccommodatingly and yreleasably fastening a plurality of electriowires or conductors thereto, for example, wires which terminate at an outlet,l splicing connection, aterminal board, switch or the like.

Inventions inatliisl categoryare'also; and otherwise referred to ascoupling devices, terminal blocks, and so` on. In any event, the concept has to do with an improved construction,- that is, 011ei in which especially defsignedjybores cooperatewith each other. That is to isay,

fyerticlal bores are-provided' and4 these are such that they r-"open'through-the-topand bottom surfaces of the'block or body of insulation. Each vertical bore has its upper v Yportion counterbored to provide upper level and lower level shoulders or ledges. The lower shoulder or ledge serves to seata neck-like bushing carriedby an end portion offa bus bar embedded in the body.` The end portion itself vrests atopvthe upper level shoulder and providesa stop for the lower end of an elastic sleeve surrounding a shank or stem on a depressible plunger.l

The plunger is providedat its lower end with diametrically opposite lugs serving as keys and these are slidably keyed in keyways formed at the lower halfportion of the vertical bores. In addition, the block is provided with horizontal bores which intersect the vertical bores and Which'serve to permit the wire-ends to be inserted and detachably anchored, in a now generally well-known manner.

Instead ofusing coil spring equipped plungers the present concept involves the use of elastic or rubber sleeves. Each sleeve is preferably made from a suitable grade of resilient neoprene. l

The block is also provided on its central top side with a rib to accommodate a U-shaped bend forming the intermediate portion of each bus bar, Vwhereby to thus provide a simple practical and expedient construction of arrangement of parts. Y

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying sheet of drawing.

' In the drawing, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a terminal block conf structed in accordance With the principles of the present invention. l

Fig. 4 is a view in section andV elevation showing the structural details in greater particularity.l

and' end' surfaces 12a-fand 14. above the bottom 1:0- horizontal` bores, which are longi- .tudinally spaced and. parallel Vare provided and-these boresy are denoted bythe numeral 16.l .They serve to Vpermitpassagejof the wire ends, not shown. The top i. It-.willV be noticedtha't surface portion v8A of the block is formed-with a lengthwis'e'rib 1 '8 over whichV the cooperating U-shaped bend vor saddle 20 of each bus barZZistted. This bend isgvprovidedwith an upstanding apertured lug 24 to accommodatpe` jumpers (not shown).` The end portions of the bus bar are the samein each instance and earch end portion' isdenoted by the numeralz' and is referred to -as fa centrally' apertured stop-or shoulder.` #It is seated; at

28-on the uppermost ledge of the upper counter-bored portion'30 of the coacting `vertical bore.v4 The bore eX- tendsurthrough thel top :and-bottom surfaces 8 and 10 and the intermediate portionof the Vbore is provided with another so-called. lower level shoulder or ledge 32 toaccommodate the central depending neck kor bushing 34 carried, by the apertured portion of the shoulder- 26. That-.portion ofthe; bore beneath thesefledges is reduced in diameter` or VVcro'ss-Section, as at 36,' and ,is provided 'withl'diam etricallyr j opposit'ejkeyways- 35. As shown in Fig. Zin-particulkarf the keyways serve to acco'm'mola,te diametrically oppositeoutstanding lugs or keys .40 onthe flower 'fend of the` stein' or shank 42 .of Vthe button-like plungerQ" Actually, 'tlie plunger' comprises a" stem anda disk-like press-button 44 on the upper end of said stem.

The aforementioned elastic or neoprene sleeve 46 surrounds the stem and is situated between the head or pressbutton 44 and the bus bar stop or shoulder 26. This sleeve obviously takes'the place of what is commonly in the form of a coil spring (not shown). In fact, ithas been found that the elastic-type-sleeve in the particular set-up illustrated and disclosed herein is a definite improvement in this line of endeavor. The stem is provided with a hole or passage 48 which is registerable with the bore 16 to accommodate the insertable and removable Wire end (not shown). It will be evident, therefore, that the insulated block 6 has its upper portion formed with a rib and has the U-shaped bend 2i? of the bus bar saddled or arched over the rib. The end portions extend beyond opposite sides of the rib, vertical bores being in requisite vertical parallelism to accommodate the bentends '26 of the bus bar.

The foregoing is considered as illustrativeV only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily ,occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention tothe exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is .as follows:

l'. A multiple terminal connector comprising a block. of

insulation material having top, bottoni and side surfaces,

said top having a central rib and said block being provided on opposite sides of said rib with vertical spaced parallel bores opening through said top and bottom surfaces, the upper portion of each vertical bore being counterbored and providing upper level and lower level ledges and also deiining a socket, the lower reduced portion of each vertical bore being provided with diametrically opposite groovs opening through the bottom of the body and providing keyways, a bus bar having a U-shaped intermediate portion providing a saddle, said saddle positioned on said rib, the end portions ofsaid bus bar being coplanar and centrally apertured and providing stop shoulders and being litted and anchored in their respectively vertical bores and resting atop the respective upper level ledges, each end portion having a central depending Patented New.y 3,1959 l neck constituting a bushing and said bushing resting atop'v'" the lower level ledge.

2. A multiple terminal Vconnector comprising a block of insulation material having top, bottom andsde surparallel bores openingthrough said top andv bottomV surfaces, the upper portion of each verticalV boe Vbeing counterbored and providing upper level-and lower' level ledges and also delining a socket, the lowerreduced-por- 10- tion of each vertical bore beingprovided with diametrically opposite grooves opening through the bottom of the body and providing keyways, a bus barfhaving a U-shaped intermediate portion providing a saddle, said bus bar being coplanar and centrally aperturedv and pro- :viding stop shoulders and being tted and anchored in vtheir respectively vertical bores and resting atop the re-H y `spective upper -level ledges, each end portion having a central depending neck constituting a bushing` and said 20.

bushing resting atop the lower level ledge, a horizontally vdisposed bore in said block, said'horizontally disposed bore intersecting a median portion of said vertical bores. 3. A multiple terminal connector comprising a block of insulation material having top, bottom and side surfaces, saidtop having a central rib and said block being j provided on opposite sides of said rib lwith vertical spaced parallel bores opening through said topand bottom sur-l faces, the upper portion of each vertical bore being 4counterbored and providing upper level and lower level i faces, said top having a central rib and saidfblock being 5 provided on opposite sides of said rib with vertical spaced "saddlepositioned on said'rib, the end portions of said 15 ledges and also defining a socket, theloiwer rediicetipbrpending neck constituting a bushingandpsaidbushiiig resting atop the loweri level ledge, ahorizontally disposed bore in said block, said horizontally disposed bore intersecting a median portion of said vertical bores, a plunger positioned in each of said vertical bores, each of said plungers having a stem with a head on its upper end, said stem having a transverse passage therethrough and having its lower end provided with diametrically opposite lugs constituting keys, said keys being slidable in said respectivekeyways, an elastic sleeve surrounding each 'stem and situated betvif'een the head on the upper end of the stern and the stop shoulder for spring-biasing the plunger to a normal released position. Y

.References (.Iited thelile of this patent y UNITED STATES PATENTS Lange Q ...L Dec. 13, 1887 Douglas July 18, 193,9

2,195,189 sauer Mar. 26, 1940 2,705,308 Howard Mar. 29, l1955 

